![]() ![]() But in the case of catastrophic fires, like those seen in 2020, it’s the General Fund that covers the bulk of catastrophic costs. ![]() Wildfire protection on private land in Oregon is generally split between landowners and the state’s General Fund. “It’s very clear to me we are stumbling into the future without an adequate source of funding for wildfire,” Golden said. The part of the budget meant to help Oregonians harden their homes and neighborhoods against wildfires went from $35 million in 2021 to $3 million in 2023. Two years later, after a couple of mild fire seasons, they approved just $87 million. In 2021, the year after the historic fires, the Legislature allocated $220 million for wildfire prevention and response. Steiner will need the three-fifths vote in both chambers for her proposal to pass. Golden will seek a vote for a ballot referral, which would allow him to avoid a constitutional requirement that three-fifths of the House and Senate approve any new or increased taxes. “This is an all Oregon problem now, and that’s different from where we were 10 years ago,” Steiner said.īoth will introduce their proposals during the short legislative session in February. Elizabeth Steiner, D-Portland, wants to charge every property owner in the state an annual fee to pay for what she sees as a statewide issue. “There is a segment of the timber industry that’s more than able to shoulder more of the load, and when we think about the protection that they get from ODF, they should be picking up more of the baggage here,” Golden said. Jeff Golden, D-Ashland, wants a tax on the value of industrial timber harvests to pay for protection that he says disproportionately benefits private forest owners. Two Democratic senators recently unveiled competing proposals to address long-term wildfire funding. That much was clear following the 2020 Labor Day fires that burned nearly 850,000 acres of forests and became the state’s most expensive disaster in history.īut lawmakers are split on how to pay for it. ![]() The Oregon Department of Forestry needs more and consistent funding to fight wildfires. ![]()
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